ABSTRACT
Integrated pest management of insect, nematode and mite pests of tea Nalini C. Gnanapragasam, Former Deputy Director (Research), Tea Research Institute, Sri Lanka; currently Agricultural Tea Consultant - Malwatte Valley Plantations PLC, Sri Lanka
1 Introduction
2 Detection methods
3 Mechanical control
4 Cultural control: cultivars and planting other crops
5 Cultural control: soil, bush sanitation, nutrient management and escape strategy
6 Biological control: botanicals and semiochemicals
7 Biological control: predators, bacteria and viruses
8 Chemical control
9 IPM programmes on selected perennial pests
10 Conclusion and future trends
11 Acknowledgements
12 References
In the past tea (Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze) was cultivated under natural conditions, without application of agrochemicals, and the majority of pests and diseases affecting the crop were kept under control by natural means. However, the clearing of forests for largescale plantations and the indiscriminate use of inorganic fertilizers have resulted in the build-up of pest problems and the emergence of hitherto unknown pests (Sivapalan, 1999). In addition to the ecological disruption and pesticide resistance caused by large-scale use of pesticides, the problem of chemical residue in tea is also a significant global concern. Since any control measures adopted should not only help improve productivity, but should also cater to the global demand for environmental safety, alternative environmentally friendly control strategies are being developed in tea-growing countries using an integrated pest management (IPM) programme involving various cultural and biological control methods, with only minimal use of environmentally acceptable pesticides.
